Thritai
Contents
Location and Description
Thritai is the southernmost city-state of Caulis and a major trade hub. It is located in the extreme south of Caulis, on the banks of the Deynar River and west of the Zaendtan Mts. It has a fairly sizable population (14,000) but is not as wealthy as the other major Caulisian trade centers of Xadir and Kalrax. It is famous for its leather goods, and is seen by many as a perilous and anarchic place, constantly harassed by barbarians of the Vaal Grasslands to the west.
The city was founded by the remnants of a barbarian tribe called the Thrit. The Thrit were the largest and most warlike of the nomadic tribes in and around the Vaal Grasslands. It is suspected that the Thrit were decimated by a plague in the late 6th/early 5th Century BCE; what was left of the tribe migrated east and settled in the area near the Deynar River where Thritai now stands. The city was little more than a lawless frontier town until trade caravans started to travel through on their way to or from The Jhera Valley, and merchants and other settlers from northern Caulis came in the hopes of profit and freedom.
Residents of Thritai refer to themselves as either Thrit or Thritan, and speak a regional dialect of Caulisian known as Samredan. Some residents are able to speak and understand Caulisian, as well as rudimentary Molenorian and Jherak.
Political System
The ruling monarch of Thritai and the surrounding area is known as the Archon; residents of the city also refer to the Archon as Haetahn, a Samredan word meaning either "tribal leader" or "warlord." The Archon is undisputed master of Thritai and the surrounding towns and villages, and it is his responsibility (by Thritan law) to protect the area from barbarians. He is supreme commander of the Thritan military, and makes the law for the area, handing out judgement on those under his dominion. Since Thritai is such a hardscrabble place, the Archon is not as rich as his counterparts in such city-states as Xadir or Kalrax. Most of the tax revenue brought in is from traders and merchants passing through.
Under the Archon are the noble families (known to Thritans as hae or "tribes"), each lead by a haedar ("duke" or "tribal father"). Many of these noble families stretch back to before the founding of the city. The dukes are each given control of a certain area in or around the city, and are responsible for maintaining whatever sort of order they see fit, as well as equipping, training, and leading their own military units in the defense of the city. The dukes collect taxes from their districts and pass them along to the Archon. The cagiest of the dukes advise the Archon on matters of trade and war. At any given time, there are around two dozen dukes.
The Archon and his dukes are content to let their people do as they like (for the most part), and this has led many in other parts of Caulis see Thritai as a lawless hive of criminals and miscreants; others look to Thritai as a sanctuary of freedom from oppression.
The Archon of Thritai is not a hereditary title. Upon the death of the Archon, all men who believe they can (or should) rule Thritai may stake a claim. The monarchy is bestowed upon the one who can defeat all the other claimants in single combat. This is often a long and bloody affair; killing one's opponent is not required, but many men will fight to the death to become Archon. The process is not limited to members of noble families; any man with the right combination of skill and ambition can join the fray. In about half the cases, the throne is allowed to pass to the son of the previous Archon by acclaim, so long as he is perceived as being fit for the monarchy, or has already proven himself sufficiently strong and capable.
Religion
Settlers from northern Caulis brought the gods of their pantheon with them to Thritai, and the native Thrit gradually adopted their worship. In addition, the original god of the Thrit, Yuul (or Yuulashaar), is still worshipped by those descended from the remnants of the original Thrit tribe. Yuul is a god of war and conquest, and is commonly depicted as a large, muscular, brown-skinned man with a bull's head and tail. Thritans believe Yuul protects their city from barbarian attacks, and they invoke his influence and protection before important battles by sacrificing the largest bull available. The temple of Yuul in Thritai rivals that of the temple of Eldraad, and the festival dedicated to him takes place in the late summer.
The city has its share of priests dedicated to the gods of the Caulisian pantheon (eean), but priests of Yuul (yuleaan) are distinctly different. They are warriors as well as priests, and often lead other fighters into battle. They train alongside other soldiers in addition to their other priestly duties, and are highly respected and venerated by the populace. Candidates for the yuleaan priesthood must undergo physical trials and often die in the process (about half of all those who wish to become yuleaan make it through). Yuleaan are distinguished by their shaved heads and and brown robes; they typically go about their daily business armed with their distinctive curved blades. In battle, they eschew the use of armor and scars are considered a sign of holiness.
Legend has it that a race of men with bull's heads called Yuulattim ("sons of Yuul") live in the caves of the Zaendtan Mts. to the east of Thritai. Yuulatim are rumored to be over 7 ft. tall and very aggressive. The mythical Thritan hero Gaarsun is supposed to have battled the bull-men, and defeated the King of the Yuulattim in single combat, returning from the mountains with the magical axe known as Kalloxitam (the "Bull's Horns"). The axe has been passed down from Archon to Archon in the hundreds of years since the battle took place.
Social Structure
The social structure of Thritai is not as rigid or class oriented as other city-states of Caulis, perhaps even radically so when compared with the coastal cities of the north. Every free man is considered a citizen and has the right to own land and move around the city and surrounding area as he wishes. A citizen has the right to a trial should he be accused of a crime, and may own slaves. He may engage in whatever sort of business pursuit he likes, as long as he pays what taxes the Archon requires, and does not commit any crimes in the course of such business (what constitutes a "crime" is a bit more nebulous than in northern Caulis, and is subject to the interpretation of the Archon and his dukes). Citizenship comes with its duties, however. All able-bodied citizens between the ages of 14 and 40 are expected to serve in the military whenever called upon to do so by the Archon or any of his dukes (see Military below).
The dukes and their extended families make up about 15% of the population. Citizens and their families account for 65%, with the rest being slaves (10%) and foreigners in semi-permanent or permanent residency (10%).
The status of haedar or duke is hereditary and passes to the firstborn son upon the death of a duke. Dukedom is given or taken away at the whim of the Archon and is typically only given as a result of some great accomplishment (military victories, for the most part). Likewise, dukes are only stripped of the title for making the most boneheaded of blunders or massive incompetence. It is considered disgraceful for dukes to flaunt their status or wealth. They are expected to serve as examples of bravery and honor to the men they govern on the Archon's behalf. They have adopted the custom of other Caulisian nobles of taking the name of the first man of the family elevated to the nobility--e.g. Duke Ramsun of the House of Namimut.
Citizens of Thritai enjoy much more freedom than what can be observed in the other city-states of Caulis. They can own property and slaves, and engage in any sort of business they like. The majority (about 60%) of citizens own cattle, do some farming, and live outside the walls of the city itself. Those who live in the city are primarily merchants and artisans/tradesmen (leatherworking, blacksmithing, weaving, etc.). Citizens are typically not wealthy, but neither do they want for anything in particular. Large extended families are the norm in Thritai, and it is not unusal for three generations (as well as uncles, aunts, and cousins) to live in the same dwelling or group of dwellings. The land around Thritai can be unforgiving, but Thritans are resourceful, tough, and persistent, and also generous to those in need.
Slaves are not uncommon in Thritai, and are generally criminals or former barbarians of the Vaal Grasslands. They are usually treated as well as in any other city-state. The laws of Thritai state that a slave-owner may beat a slave as often as he likes, but not to the point that it endangers the slave's life. It is considered a crime--punishable by fine--to kill a slave for any reason. A slave may be freed only with the permission of the Archon or one of his dukes. Slaves are put to use working the fields, and the typical extended Thritan family has 4 or 5 household slaves. When there are more slaves than work, the excess are taken to Xadir and sold in the slave markets.
Military
All able-bodied citizens between the ages of 14 and 40 are expected to serve in the military whenever called upon to do so by the Archon or any of his dukes. Those citizens of military age are also expected to keep their arms and armor in good working order and spend at least 2 or 3 days a month training (dukes often make their full-time soldiers available to assist with this). Dukes are expected to organize, equip, train, and maintain the militia for the districts they govern. Many use a portion of the taxes they collect to buy armor and weapons. If absolutely necessary, slaves who are capable will be armed and fight alongside free men.
Around 10-15% of the eligible men in a given district are sufficiently tough and skilled at fighting to be made into full-time soldiers. These full-time soldiers split their time between training citizens and patrolling the city and outskirts of Thritai for barbarian raiders. A quarter of soldiers are trained as charioteers, and all are expected to be competant archers. Thritan soldiers--both professional and not--are famous for their courage, disclipine, and ferocity. Thritans value the honor of their tribe above personal glory, and are trained from a young age to feel no fear in the face of battle. Those soldiers for whom the occasional barbarian raid is insufficient often travel abroad as mercenaries. Thritan mercs are among the best-paid, celebrated, and feared fighters in Caulis and beyond.
Since the milita of each district is maintained separately, arms and armor of the Thritan military is a patchwork of different styles. Most Thritan soldiers wear breastplates of reinforced leather, as well as leather forearm and leg protection. They are also issued a spear, short sword, dagger, and small, oblong leather shield. Dukes and professional soldiers that can afford and acquire bronze armor do so. Each militia marches into battle behind a unique haetu ("tribal flag" or "standard"). The yuleaan priests often act as lieutenants within the militias.
The Thritan military mainly acts to defend the city from the many barbarian tribes of the Vaal Grasslands. Raids occur as often as every 3-4 months, but up to 2 years can go by between attacks. The Archon and his dukes are always watchful, even if the citizens grow complacent during long stretches of peace. None but the most aggressive (or foolhardly) Archons will attempt to fight the barbarians on their own turf. Tales are still told of the Archon Kaehonymuc II (288-262 BCE), who led a force of 1,500 soldiers deep into the Vaal in an attempt to wipe out the Zihoc tribe. Far from home and running low on supplies, Kaehonymuc and his men were ambushed and slaughtered by a much smaller force of Zihoc warriors. Only 100 men made it back to Thritai alive, and the Zihoc still hold Kaehonymuc's skull as a great trophy.
Trade
The economy of Thritai relies heavily on cattle. The fields around the city are covered in fast-growing grass called gokkai, and the herds of Thritan cattle graze year round. Thritans use nearly every part of the cow, and export about 60% of the leather they produce. A good portion moves overland to Xaros, and down the River Caul from there to the markets of Xadir and to the rest of the known world. Half of the leather is made into durable goods before export. Thritan leather goods are durable and artfully made. Meat does not travel nearly as well as leather, but jerky made from Thritan beef can be found as far away as Zhosur and Sarmania.
Thritai trades heavily with neighboring city-states Onaar and Sekray, and ships significant amounts of cattle to those cities in exchange for grain and vegetables.
Currency
Thritai has no official currency. Coins from all areas of Caulis--and, indeed, the rest of the known world--are generally accepted as payment. The economy of Thritai relies more heavily on barter and the any other city-state of Caulis. It is expected that most transactions will consist entirely of goods or services. Workers may be paid for a day or week's work with fresh fish or pound of chickpeas; likewise, a shipment of cotton from Jherakeen might be paid for with an agreed-upon amount of Thritan leather.
Clothing
The men of Thritai wear light, thigh-length tunics known locally as notah (ona in Caulisian). Sleeve length varies, usually based on occupation or social class. Tradesmen, common laborers, and slaves wear notah with no sleeves; merchants and the wealthy prefer elbow-length sleeves. Notah in general tend to be rather plain, undyed, and without any but the most basic of decoration. Those men for whom appearance is more than a rudimentary concern tend to set themselves apart through ornamentation--rings, necklaces, armbands, etc. Slaves are prohibited from wearing ornamentation of any kind.
Women wear a lightweight garment similar to the notah, but ankle-length and sleeveless. Like the male counterpart, they tend to be rather plain and undyed. Thritan women are not terribly concerned with jewelry or elaborate hairstyles, as the majority cannot afford such luxuries, or see them as indicative of the amoral decadence of the north.
When the weather turns cool, Thritan men and women wrap themselves in rough woolen cloaks known as ni'notah.
Both men and women wear simple leather sandals. Slaves and poor residents of the city go shoeless.
Hair Styles
Thritan men descended from settlers wear their hair cropped short, as is the style in the rest of Caulis. Those men descended from the original, barbarian Thrit prefer shoulder-length or longer hair, as well as long moustaches or beards. Thritan women wear their hair long, and often tie it back in ponytails or simple braids.
Education
There is no Thritai-wide system of education. Fathers are responsible for educating their sons in whatever way they deem appropriate, and rarely delve too deeply into academic subjects. The education of Thritan boys generally consists of the handling and butchering of cattle, animal husbandry, simple leather working, horsemanship, and fighting. Mothers teach their daughters household tasks such as cooking, sewing, and simple farming techniques. Residents of Thritai are, by and large, the least formally educated of Caulisians, and are often viewed as country bumpkins. They are not stupid however, and are very adaptable and clever.
Those citizens who can afford to do so hire may hire priests as tutors to instruct male children from the age of 6 or 7 until adulthood at age 14. There is no standardized set of subjects, and boys are instructed in whatever subjects their fathers believe are most important. This is considered a luxury that only the wealthiest of dukes and merchants can afford, though it can be relatively inexpensive depending on the curriculum.
Sports and Leisure
Thritans will brawl at the drop of a hat, and typically over the most inconsequential things. They rarely back down from a fight, but also value honor and fair play. It is no surprise then that Thritans favor physical sports like boxing, wrestling, and gladitorial matches. They also like dancing, drinking, and the telling of tall tales.
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